Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Corrcspondent.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1887

WAsHrNGToN, Feb. IA, 1887.
Money for national defense, money for
new Navy, the trade dollar question, the
Ends sllp railway, the backward appropr-
non bills, the educational hill and the an.
ii pnlygamy bill are come Of the subjects to
which our lawmakers have given attention
during the week,
The agitation in all sections oil the coun-
try Of the subject of immediate provision
for national defense has had its effect upon
both Houses of Congress. Senate commit
tees and House committees were busy at
the same time devising ways and means
for The increase of the Navy and coast de
lenses, and they ran II race of diligence TO
get in first with their important measures.
The Senate won aud is doing nobly with
the question OF cruisers, gunboa,s, forts,
aud all sur,s OF defense.
There has been vast amount of talk
over the Preridenrs veto of the Di.abi-
ity Pension bill. This matter presents
remarkable spectacle TO the country, and
emphasizes the fact that the ways of the
present Administration are past finding out.
A Democratic President veloss a general
pension Inv in order to enable Congress to
reduce war taxes, ami Democratic speaker
OF the House OF Representatives uses his
power to ga, Congress to prevent the re-
movnl of the war tax on tobacco.
When Capt. Eads' great ship railway
scheme came mp in the Senate II was advo-
caled by Senator Hoar as one of the most
important steps that the American people
had taken for n generation. 1t would give
them control of the markets Of the world.
After skelcling The course of commerce in
the past and in the present he said it would
hereafter seek drec, paths. There were two
through the Mediterranean sea he cut
Asia and Africa in twain. The other
(not ye, oren) was to divide the American
continent at Tcluan,epec.
The Senator thought II Congress would
cooperate with the great American inven-
tor and engineer in his plan for this
purpose it would go far towards securing
future commercial supremacy for the
United States. "li is not the proposition
OF an adventurer" said he, "Capt. Eads
stakes upon it fame gained by two of
the creates, engineering feats of the age"
Senator Gibson favored all attempts TO
pierce the isthmus, and would even
applaud the genius OF Lesseps il he were
successful III opening the Panama canal
and eff,ciug the barrier OF the chain of the
Corlilleras, lie was disposed 10 favor any
engineering scheme that was backed by
the name of Eads. And then he said the
proposed route would be continuation of
The Mississippi river in nearly a direct
line across the isthmus. The opening of
tie Nicaragua route would invite an issue
with France, England and Spain an the
Monroe doctrine.
The Blair Educational bill has been
suppressed in committee by the dislin-
guished leaders of The Democratic party,
Me-srs. Carlisle, Randall and Morrison.
The Republican members of the Commit
tee, Messrs. Reed and IJiscock, need one
vote TO enable them to report the measure
back to the House. A recent canvass of
that body satisfied the member who made
il That the bill would command the sun
port of two-tl,irda of the members, il il
cond he presented I'd them for action.
the people of Washington are waiting
impaliently for Congress to take action
upon several propositions. They all want
Inauguration day changed from the fourth
Of March to the thirteenth of April. They
want nm appropriation for running the
elevator in the Washington Monument,
and they want the grand memorial bridge
that is 10 span the Potomac as monu-
ment to General Grant.
There is fair prospect ior the next
President to lie inaugurated On the last
Tuesday in April, 1889. This day in
the Centennial year comes on the day on
which Washington was inangnrated In
1880. Consequently there can be no senli.
mental grounds for objection to the change.
And the reasons in favor OF il are obvious.
II will add nearly two months 10 the short
sessions of Congress- and il will bring the
inaugural ceremonies in The most delight
fnl seas0n Of the year. The people OF ihe
whole country wonld welcome II in the
interest OF convenience 10 the large
numbers who flock here 10 the inaugura-
tions.
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